Method and device for increasing musical sensitivity

Abstract

A method and a device for increasing the perception of acoustic events, particularly for increasing musical sensitivity. As high a correlation as possible between heard and felt perceptions can be achieved by the conversion of the musical signal into vibrations on the skin, the local impact distribution of the filtered musical signals, the emphasis of the dominant musical signals by expanding the extent of the impact, the transfer of the signal portions in the non-feelable range into the feelable range, and the variable base spectrum adapting to the current musical spectrum.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for increasing perception of acoustic events, in particular for increasing musical sensitivity, the method comprising:
 transmitting vibrations derived from an acoustic event and correlated with the acoustic event onto the skin of a person by vibration transmitters, wherein the vibration transmitters are spatially distributed on the skin; 
 determining control voltages, by a controller to which an input signal reproducing the acoustic event is fed, and actuating the vibration transmitters each with one of the determined control voltages to generate a vibration that is sensible on the skin, wherein an amplitude profile of the input signal is in a non-sensible frequency range and is impressed as an amplitude profile on an oscillation voltage in a sensible frequency range; 
 determining a base spectrum from the frequency spectrum of the acoustic event, wherein the base spectrum is divided into partial spectra which each comprise a frequency range of the base spectrum, wherein the control voltages are each derived from the frequency range of at least one assigned partial spectrum, and wherein frequency positions of the control voltages and/or the partial spectra are assigned to positions of the vibration transmitters; and 
 separating, by a selection amplifier, the non-sensible frequency range from the sensible frequency range, wherein the selection amplifier has a dynamic operating point setting such that,
 a rectified output signal of the selection amplifier is fed back to the amplifier input in phase opposition via a time delay stage, resulting in an amplification that depends on a rate of change of the input signal in the non-sensible frequency range, and 
 an amplitude profile of the rectified output signal of the amplifier is impressed as an amplitude profile on an oscillator voltage in the sensible range and used as the control voltages for the vibration transmitters. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the determination of the base spectrum comprises an expansion and/or reduction of the width of the base spectrum while maintaining the number of partial spectra,
 wherein the width of the base spectrum is reduced if, within a time unit, a number of spectral components occurs in the frequency range of the acoustic event in the edge regions of the current base spectrum which lies below a specified threshold value, in particular no spectral component, 
 wherein the width of the base spectrum is expanded if a spectral component which lies outside the selected base spectrum occurs in the frequency spectrum of the acoustic event. 
 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of vibration transmitters actuated by a control voltage depends on the amplitude ratio of the individual control voltages,
 wherein, if the amplitude of the control voltages of all partial spectra is the same or substantially the same, the control voltages are fed to the vibration transmitters in the sequence of their frequency position and/or 
 wherein, when a predetermined deviation between the amplitudes of the control voltages is reached, the dominant control voltage is fed to the vibration transmitter of the associated partial spectrum and one or more vibration transmitters of partial spectra with a higher frequency position. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the vibration transmitters is permanently actuated with the highest frequency control voltage. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the control voltage which has the highest amplitude in the frequency position below the control voltage with the maximum value is also used to actuate one or more vibration transmitters which lie between said two control voltages, and there is a corresponding assignment for the control voltages in the frequency ranges therebelow. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the vibration transmitters are arranged so as to be distributed on the skin in an arrangement extending in a distribution direction, wherein the vibration transmitters are preferably arranged symmetrically and in pairs with respect to a center line of the arrangement and are actuated in pairs or individually, wherein the frequency of the control voltages further preferably increases in the direction of the center line. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein at least the vibration transmitters located directly on both sides of the center line are permanently actuated with the highest frequency control voltage. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the amplitude of the control voltage in the highest, still sensible partial spectrum is increased if signal portions of the input signal occur in a non-sensible partial spectrum. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, if signal portions of the input signal occur in a non-sensible partial spectrum, the control voltage in the highest, still sensible partial spectrum, starting from a predefined amplitude of said signal portions, is fed to a plurality of vibration transmitters as control voltage. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the case of signal portions of the input signal being in a non-sensible partial spectrum, the frequency range of said partial spectrum is detected in its entirety via one or more, preferably at least two, filter stages. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein, if signal portions of the input signal are in a non-sensible partial spectrum, the control voltages are assigned to the vibration transmitters with one or more, preferably at least two, filter stages such that vibration transmitters arranged closer to the center line are actuated with the control voltages derived from a higher-frequency signal portion, and vibration transmitters located further away from the center line are actuated with the control voltages derived from a low-frequency signal portion. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein, in the case of an amplitude dominance of a control voltage, at least one further vibration transmitter, in particular a vibration transmitter adjacent to the assigned vibration transmitter, is actuated with said control voltage in addition to the assigned vibration transmitter. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the case of acoustic events with a limited spectral range, the division of the partial spectra for the control voltages is spread according to the total width of the frequency spectrum. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein control commands for changing a programming and/or the assignment can be transmitted via a user interface, preferably via software. 
     
     
       15. A device for increasing perception of acoustic events, which is configured to carry out the method of  claim 1 , wherein the device has a plurality of vibration transmitters for transmitting vibrations onto the skin of a person and a controller connected to the vibration transmitters for actuating the vibration transmitters with a control voltage in order to generate the vibrations,
 wherein the vibration transmitters are arranged at positions in a predetermined arrangement such that they can be spatially distributed on the skin of the person, 
 wherein the device is configured to transmit vibrations derived from an acoustic event and correlating with the acoustic event onto the skin of a person by means of the vibration transmitters, and 
 wherein the controller is configured to receive an input signal belonging to the acoustic event, to determine control voltages and to actuate the vibration transmitters with one of the determined control voltages in order to generate a vibration that is sensible on the skin. 
 
     
     
       16. The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the vibration transmitters are arranged in an arrangement extending in a distribution direction, preferably symmetrically and in pairs with respect to a center line of the arrangement, and can be actuated in pairs or individually. 
     
     
       17. The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the device is designed as a belt to be worn around the hips, as a band or as an item of clothing, preferably such that, when used, the vibration transmitters can be placed on the skin in the area of the abdomen and the hips of the person. 
     
     
       18. The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the vibration transmitters are arranged such that they come into contact with the skin of the person when said person wears the device or are arranged relative to the skin of the person such that a vibration can be transmitted onto the skin. 
     
     
       19. The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the controller for receiving the input signal has at least one interface, in particular a wireless interface, and/or a music recording device for recording sound waves of the acoustic event. 
     
     
       20. The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the controller comprises a digital controller and/or software. 
     
     
       21. The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the controller comprises an electronic system consisting of components that are coupled to one another in terms of circuitry, wherein the components comprise a music recording component, a circuit for determining the base spectrum, controllable filter circuits with a circuit for adapting the filter circuits and circuits for amplitude detection, and preferably comparator circuits, a digital circuit, controllable amplifiers and a switching matrix.